Apple is planning to release a second generation of the Apple Watch as early
as 2016, according to reports

A second generation Apple Watch is planned for release next year, according to reports.

The Apple Watch 2 will boast a video camera for FaceTiming, inbuilt WiFi to free it from its paired iPhone and new premium-priced models, 9to5Mac reported.

New software watchOS 2.0, announced earlier this month at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, allows users to answer FaceTime audio calls on their watch for the first time, alongside batting video calls back to their iPhone. A newly integrated camera above the watch face means video calls could be made directly from the device, it is claimed.

Currently an Apple Watch has to be within around 10 metres of its paired iPhone to receive email and other updates via the internet, alongside texts and operating the phone camera over Bluetooth. An inbuilt Wi-Fi chip in the second generation watch would afford it more independence, and enable a Find my Watch feature enjoyed by iPhone users.

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A source told the rumours site that battery life in the new watch will be roughly the same as that of the current Watch, which averages around 30 hours or so following moderate use, after market research found the majority of Apple Watch owners were satisfied with charging their watches nightly as they would a phone.

Overnight charging was an issue which was presented as a potential problem in the run up to the Apple Watch going on sale.

Customers can now purchase Apple Watches from Apple retail stores, having previously only been able to pre-order and pay for them online.

Apple has already sold 2.8 million Apple watches, according to research firm Slice Intelligence.

A customer leaves the Apple store on Regent Street with his new Apple Watch

New models that will sit somewhere between the high-end stainless steel Apple Watch unit and the entry-level 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition, and could be priced between $1,000 - $10,000, the source added. New materials could include platinum, titanium, tungsten and palladium in an effort to make further inroads into the luxury timepiece market.

While watchOS 2.0 is due for release in the autumn, the sources did not speculate as to when in 2016 we could see the new version go on sale.